NZ Lifestyle Block – June 2020 by Lifestyle Magazine Group

Welcome to the jungle of delicious

& all its incredible edibles

Cool crops

JUNE 2020

7 THINGS THAT MAKE WINTER ON A BLOCK EASIER PAGE 8

AND a simple way to beat mud

PLUS 6 simple recipes to use up a winter glut PAGE 42

The little family vegetable business that won big

What you need to know about farm surgical procedures

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PLUS 4 things you need to get top egg production

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Contents JUNE 2020

PROJECT

DIY

Fe a t u r e s 12

The little block vegetable business that could This South Auckland block was more than ready when Covid-19 shut down the country

Welcome to the jungle of delicious Visit a 30 year old food forest full of nutritious, delicious edibles

DIY: the wooden planter project An easy-to-make, bespoke planter box

Growing

Fa r m i n g

Ever y issue

40 Garden Calendar - jobs for June

6 yummy ways to use up a winter vegetable glut Really easy recipes for using up bulk vegetables

Farm Diary - what you need to know about surgical procedures on livestock - pasture jobs for June

50 Weedbusters Not the good kind of jaffa 51 Pasture Watch Watch out for alligators

Notebook

60 Village Green 65 Grassroots 66 Last Words Check out the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest predator-proof fence 67 Subscribe & Save

Po u l t r y 52 Your Poultry Four things you need for a top-producing hen

32 The cool crops Nourishing plants that will feed you through winter

On the cover

Cool winter crops, PLUS a little block business with big growing success

Cool crops to grow

See pages 12 & 32

See page 32

Connect with us FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/thisNZlife WEBSITE

thisnzlife.co.nz

SUBSCRIBE Buy or renew your subscription (see page 67). Visit thisnzlife.co.nz/shop or call free 0800 113 488. JULY ISSUE ON SALE JUNE 29

thisnzlife.co.nz 3

© 2020 • Lifestyle Magazine Group Ltd Volume 34, number 6 ISSN 1176-726X (print) | ISSN 2463-7424 (online) EDITOR Nadene Hall Phone (09) 222 0408 or 0274 914 078 Email editor@nzlifestyleblock.co.nz ART DIRECTOR Rebecca Needham ADVERTISING SALES Jessica Choner Phone (09) 222 0403 or 022 618 8680 Email sales@lifestylemagazinegroup.co.nz PROUDLY PRINTED BY Webstar, New Zealand CIRCULATION AND READERSHIP Circulation per issue: 7,426 (Source: NZ Audited Bureau of Circulation, total Net Circulation 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2018) Readership: 61,000 (Source: Nielsen National Readership Survey Q3 17 to Q2 18) NZ Lifestyle Block sources expert advice on a range of specialist topics. We recommend you get your own independent advice before you take any action, and any action you take is strictly at your own risk. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of NZ Lifestyle Block or Lifestyle Magazine Group Ltd. Lifestyle Magazine Group is not liable for any loss or damage (included but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for personal injury arising from any action taken.

PUBLISHER Lifestyle Magazine Group Lynley Belton | Kate Coughlan COVER IMAGE Victoria Shibut | Dreamstime.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Freephone 0800 113 488 Online thisnzlife.co.nz/shop Email subs@nzlifestyleblock.co.nz Digital versions: Pressreader CONTACT US Phone 09 520 7975 Address: Level 1, 29 Great South Rd, Newmarket 1149 Post: PO Box 99201, Auckland 1149

Our involvement in the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards has opened our eyes to the wonderful boutique products New Zealanders are making. Our readers enjoy learning about these hard-working producers, and we love backing their efforts. We’re supporting them further with a new online shop of tasty products for delivery to your door. We’re starting small with some of our favourite producers – but our range will grow.

thisnzlife.co.nz/market

4 NZ Lifestyle Block

NZ Lifestyle Block is printed on Lepia recycled paper (pages), and Novatech Satin (cover) paper, sourced from sustainably-managed, small, non-industrial, private forests. New Zealand Lifestyle Block is published by Lifestyle Magazine Group Ltd. The contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the consent of the Editor. Unsolicited editorial material may be submitted but should include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. While every care is taken, no responsibility is accepted for material submitted. All rights reserved. This magazine is subject to the New Zealand Press Council. Complaints should first be directed to the editor (editor@nzlifestyleblock.co.nz) with ‘Press Council complaint’ in the subject line or mailed to the address at the bottom of this page. If unsatisfied, the complaint may be referred to the Press Council, PO Box 10 879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143 or by email at: info@presscouncil.org.nz Further details and online complaints at www.presscouncil.org.nz

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From the editor

Did you miss our May issue?

The Level 4 lockdown during April meant we were unable to print or distribute the May issue of NZ Lifestyle Block. We produced a digital version instead, which is available for subscribers to read. If you didn’t see it, email us with your subscriber number or postal details and we can send you the code that gives you access. It’s best viewed on a PC, laptop, or tablet, or you can download the free Issuu app for mobile phones. Get the code: email subs@ lifestylemagazinegroup.co.nz Where to find it: go to www.issuu.com - search for ‘lifestyle block’ Get our guide to using Issuu: thisnzlife.co.nz

Connect with us thisnzlife.co.nz

6 NZ Lifestyle Block

www.facebook.com/thisNZlife

@thisnzlife

thisnzlife

Pujikpiyek | Dreamstime.com

The past few weeks have been quite the journey. I hope you and your bubble are safe and healthy. You’ll probably notice the magazine has fewer pages than usual. The impact of the lockdown had enormous and quite sad ramifications for the magazine industry. A large number of esteemed NZ magazines disappeared, some possibly forever, after a foreign-owned media company closed down. Our proudly NZ-owned company (which also produces NZ Life & Leisure) is still working hard to provide you with great stories and inspiration, but it has been pretty tough. It’s going to take a little time for us to get back up and running as we were. Advertising contributions help to fund the number of pages we can write and print, and understandably, people are cautious. For the moment, the magazine will be slightly shorter, but our goal is to get back to normal as quickly as possible. There’s still plenty of great reading in this issue. We meet lifestyle block grower Liz Tregidga and her family, who managed to turn the lockdown into a big plus for their business and customers. Liz told me that pre-lockdown, she’d been taking time off her 7-day-aweek job to learn how to surf. She’d found a lot of joy taking part in something that cleared her mind. For me, my brain chatter stops when I’m riding my motorbike. I can’t wait to get back out on the road, Nadene Hall, Editor on a journey of my choice. No viruses allowed.

THINKING OF YOUR NEXT LIFESTYLE BLOCK MOVE?

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F E AT U R E T I P S F O R W I N T E R O N T H E B LO C K

7 things that make

winter

on a block easier Good equipment saves you time and money.

Words Nadene Hall

cold, wet day makes any job outside just that much harder. These seven items mean you’ll spend less time working in the cold, and prevent common problems:

■ Latex thermo gloves. These make it easy to grip

things like hay bale string without damaging or hurting skin. Your fingers can still move and also stay warm.

■ A good torch or headlamp. Look for one with a

long-distance beam (70-100m), which makes finding stock in the dark much easier. You can get ones that are USB-chargeable, but most use AAA batteries.

■ Sharp hoof clippers/shears that fit your hand, ■ Hoof spray. You can get iodine to help initially

with footrot. Look for Repiderma spray in rural supply stores, which helps prevent and heal foot scald. Talk to your vet if you need an antibiotic spray.

■ Traps and/or poison. A long, dry summer and warm autumn in many places means there are huge numbers of mice and rats around trying to steal stock feed. Read more on proven pest control strategies: thisNZlife.co.nz

■ Tap and pipe fittings. Cold or freezing weather often damages pipe joiners and taps. For some reason, it’s usually at 6am on a Sunday, so it’s always handy to have spare fittings on a shelf.

A simple way to beat mud

Paths, driveway, or areas around your barn or coop a muddy mess? Consider laying down a polypropylene geotextile. This special fabric forms a barrier, so mud underneath doesn’t mix with bark or driveway stones sitting on top. Suppliers include Permathene, Empak, Cosio, and Cirtex.

- sharp scissors and iodine spray for umbilical cords; - long, arm-length gloves – ask your vet; - lubricant, in case you need to assist with a birth; - bottles and a range of nipples (calves, lambs, kids); - a ketol product, for a ewe that’s not eating; - a thermal or heated blanket; - a digital thermometer. 8 NZ Lifestyle Block

BUY GOOD QUALITY GUMBOOTS We’ve all had that sinking feeling when we step into mud and feel its cold, squish squeezing through a crack in the back of a worn gumboot. Look for gumboots that:

■ are made of flexible rubber with builtin UV protection, which makes them longer-lasting, and less likely to crack:

■ A birthing kit. Great options to have

in a pre-prepared go-bag include: - paper towels/old towels, and a big rubbish bag;

tips

Talk to your vet about the right hoof spray to have on hand for footrot and hoof scald.

■ have wide cleats on the sole, good for grip on slippery surfaces, and easy to clean off with a hose;

■ are the right fit for you. That could be

boots that fit snugly up your leg (leave wiggle room for thick pants, and socks). For others, it’s looser boots with a wider leg so it’s easier to get them off without having to ankle-tap the back.

ChrisSteer | iStock

especially if you have small hands/short fingers. Ideally, get a pair that can be sharpened.

SHOP WARM. SHOP DRY. SHOP ONLINE. To get you ready for the cold, the rain and wind, we’re here to help you sort your winter shopping from the warmth of your home, whenever it suits you. We have great deals for all of your family’s winter essentials – from base layers to wet weather gear and workwear. Your one-stop winter shop. You can order now with your credit card, or on account, via the Farm Source online store. Or over the phone on account. Then you can safely pick it up, or ask about our delivery options.

GREAT WINTER DEALS

F E AT U R E T I P S F O R W I N T E R O N T H E B LO C K

A pasturefriendly way

to feed stock in winter

■

■ Have a second fence to prevent animals

from walking back over previously grazed pasture, which damages plants and compacts soil. If you back-fence, you’ll need a portable water trough (see box at right).

■ There are pasture feed calculations you

can do to work out how big an area your cattle need each day to gain (or maintain) weight. Talk to a local professional farmer or your vet for advice, especially if you have pregnant animals.

■ Move cattle onto pasture that’s 11-15cm

high (when it’s at its most nutritious). Move them off it when the pasture is down to around 5cm high.

■ Cattle need to eat good quality pasture for

about 4-6 hours a day to gain weight. By the end of the day, if pasture is around 5cm high, you’ve got the break size right. If they’ve eaten down much lower, are walking around looking for more food, and mooing, you need to make the ‘break’ larger, and/or feed out hay/silage.

■ Feed hay or silage before you move cattle onto a new ‘break’, so they’re less likely to trample it by running onto it in excitement.

tips 4 TIPS IF YOU’RE BACK-FENCING

■ Buy a portable trough that can roll across the ground.

■ Have the trough in the middle of a break, attached to a fence if possible.

■ Start the first break at the back of a paddock, and work your way towards the gate. This makes it easier to move the trough across ungrazed grass, instead of fouled pasture.

■ Bend the ballcock arm, so the trough only gets half-full, making it easier to empty it when you need to move it.

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Jivko Mladenov | Dreamstime.com

reak-feeding is a useful strategy for portioning out pasture over winter. Here are the basics. Use electrified tape/wire and pigtails to create long, narrow strips (known as ‘breaks’) of pasture. If you have small paddocks, try zigzagging the electric fence rather than making it a straight line, to prevent dominant cattle from pushing more timid ones off the new grass.

F E AT U R E T I P S F O R W I N T E R O N T H E B LO C K

Visit our online home, thisNZlife.co.nz, for exclusive interviews, recipes, DIY projects, gardening advice, great giveaways, and more. Read more

The beautiful way to dry & store firewood

Learn the simple way to create a gorgeous, and efficient firewood stack

Warm Up this winter with...

Sparky The Cute Wee Fire with a Big Heart Everyone loves Sparky. He can be found in many diverse locations and situations from mobile homes, holiday homes, tiny houses, tucked up in front of inefficient old open fires and in larger modern new builds. Sparky is built of solid 5mm steel, has a stove top cooking surface, can be top or rear flued and is available in a range in colours. Sparky will keep you cosy and warm and boil the kettle for a cuppa while he chuckles away and brightens your day.

7kw (estimated). A 1.2kw Lion wetback can be fitted to heat your hot water.

Leon

Lessons from your smoking chimney

Multi Fuel Fires with Style

If it’s belching ugly smoke, here’s why and what to do about it.

DIY DIY PROJECT

Turn an old door into a stylish coat stand for winter coats and boots.

Heat Output

Heat Output 16-18kw (estimated). A 3kw Lion wetback can be fitted to heat your hot water.

The Wagener Leon is Sparky’s big brother and has been designed for those of you who need that extra size and power. Leon stands 900mm high, has a fixed log box base, can be customized with colour and has a stove top cooking surface for those winter soups or stews. When fitted with a Lion wetback plenty of power saving hot water is also on hand. Leon has been designed to work hard and stand the test of time. We think you’ll be impressed.

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thisnzlife.co.nz 11

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

Liz Tregidga (centre) with her parents, Phil and Jenny.

THE

LIT TLE BLOCK BUSINESS

THAT COULD

Words Nadene Hall Images Fraser Smith/Clevedon Herbs & Produce, Nadene Hall

12 NZ Lifestyle Block

Kozpho | Dreamstime.com

A family vegetable business on a South Auckland block has created an award-winning way of selling their produce.

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

Who:

Liz, Amy, Phil, Jenny & Kara Tregidga

Workers:

Charlotte, Kate, Melanie, Fraser

What: Clevedon Herbs & Produce Where: Clevedon, 45km south-east of Auckland

Land: 4ha (10 acres) Web: www.clevedonherbs.co.nz

Potatos | Dreamstime.com

facebook.com/clevedonherbsproduce instagram.com/clevedonherbsproduce/

thisnzlife.co.nz 13

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

he local farmers’ market saved the Tregidga family business back in the mid-2000s. Today, Clevedon Herbs & Produce is thriving under sisters Liz and Amy Tregidga (pronounced Treh-gidge-ah), and they've greened up the herb and vegetable-growing operation, half an hour’s drive south-east of Auckland. They grow, harvest, and deliver boxes of what the Outstanding NZ Food Producer judges call “super-fresh, restaurant-quality herbs and seasonal vegetables, better than homegrown.” But 15 years ago, their 25-year relationship supplying supermarkets came to an end. Things seemed grim for Amy and Liz’s parents, who started the business back in 1980. It was selling direct to customers through farmers' markets that turned things around. “Helen Dorresteyn (who owns Clevedon Buffalo Company) started the Clevedon Farmers’ Market just as the banks were telling our parents they needed to sell up,” says Amy. “On their first day at the market, (my parents) had some lettuces and seedlings and decided if they were going to have to stand there for four hours, they needed to grow more. That’s what we still do now.” Next was the Howick Farmers' Market, run by the woman Liz calls their "lifeline", Jenny Foster. They quickly gained a large, loyal following. "The support from the community Crops are there has been incredible," says Liz. delivered to "Some hardcore customers show up customers even during a cyclone!" within 24-48 Today, Liz oversees growing, Amy hours of harvest does the marketing, and parents Phil and Jenny work with them. Until the Covid-19 virus lockdown, they were getting up at 4.30am every weekend to prepare for the local farmers’ markets. But with their new online veggie box business, there’s no need for all those early starts. Crops are chilled, boxed, and delivered directly to a customer’s front door, arriving 24-48 hours after harvesting. That's three to four days faster than large scale suppliers, and it shows. Opening a Clevedon Herbs & Produce box feels like you’ve walked outside and picked the crops yourself, say the judges of the Outstanding NZ During summer, the family grow large amounts of basil, one of their top five crops. 14 NZ Lifestyle Block

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

The Tregidga family were the first to grow fancy red lettuce in the 1980s, and were paid per leaf by a top Auckland hotel.

Liz says customers love seeing all the colours and smells. "A lot of people say it's like Christmas."

Food Producer Awards. They presented the Tregidgas with a special award for ingenuity for their summer vegetable box (see pages 22-23). “The basil took us to Italy. Fantastic presentation, herbs on their own roots, carrots and beetroot with leaves still attached showing absolute freshness.” The family gets a lot of feedback from

happy customers too. “We get people saying how grateful they are for the fresh veggies,” says Liz. “They open up the box, and they love seeing all the colours and the smells. A lot of people say it’s like Christmas. It’s all very positive.” When they put together a box, Liz says they aim to include as wide a variety of vegetables as possible.

“I wouldn’t want to eat leafy greens all the time, so we have a few root crops. All the essentials like broccoli, carrots, and at the moment we’ve got butternut. In winter, we grow more rocket and watercress, things with a bit more flavour as people get a bit bored after a lot of silverbeet and kale. We get a few herbs in there, so when people open the box, they get this nice thisnzlife.co.nz 15

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

A little box of love Edible flowers add bright, cheerful colour to a dish, but several also make a big contribution to the flavour.

• nasturtium flowers

(and leaves): strong, peppery.

• marigolds, calendulas: citrusy, adds a fruity flavour to a salad. • carnations: a deeply sweet smell and taste. • violas: not much flavour

but definitely nice to look at, says Liz.

THe family regularly donate seedlings to OKE, a charity that helps schools create productive gardens.

burst of smell from the basils in summer or the parsley.” Broccoli is their number one seller. “It’s very sweet and tasty,” says Liz. The rest of the top five (depending on the season) are lettuce, tomatoes, baby spinach, and carrots. Then there’s the little box of special you’ll find tucked inside. “The edible flowers are all picked by my mum,” says Liz. “Every petal is plucked by hand, but it’s the best job on the property because you’re amongst the flowers. It’s fiddly, but very rewarding. People love that little added touch that you wouldn’t get from a supermarket. It’s a bit more personal, it shows a bit more love.”

16 NZ Lifestyle Block

Domnitsky | Dreamstime.com

www.oke.org.nz

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

The growing family The Tregidga family have always been growers ahead of their time. Phil’s dad was one of the first to grow greenhouse tomatoes in NZ; Phil and his brothers pioneered the country’s first hydroponic systems in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, Phil and Jenny bought their block on the outskirts of Auckland. Phil built everything, from the plastic gullies where the plants grow to the plastic houses still used by the business today. The entire working area covers about half of their 4ha (10 acre) block. “Dad built it from scratch and learned as he went along,” says Liz. “He’s got that Kiwi ingenuity happening.” While most growers endure backbreaking work, there’s almost no need to bend over here. The hydroponic drains sit at bench height, and weeding is minimal. Crops such as carrots and beetroot are grown in large, reusable planter bags that sit on the ground outside. They use organically certified sprays to prevent pests and diseases. Hydroponics is all about water recycling and getting the nutrients into the plant for more fruit and higher yield, says Liz. “Hydroponic lettuce uses 80% less water than conventionally-grown lettuce, and the water is recirculated, so it doesn’t get lost into the ground.” She's been helping her parents since she was seven years old. However, it was only in 2011 – after travelling around the world – that she started working on the farm full-time. Liz has been She had lots of ideas. For the first five years, Liz “They were doing a spent a lot of time writing down helping her couple of farmers’ markets. everything she did in diaries. parents since Then I came in and tripled “Like I’d write, ‘next year, in she was seven everything.” March, seed more beetroot for years old. That meant growing crops winter’. The following year, I’d look they’d never tried before. back and think ‘right, I need more “Because we grow hydroponically, there beetroot now’, whereas before I’d been was definitely a lot of trial and error to find doing it in April or May and it was too late. out what would work. Like, we find rocket As a grower, she spends most of her just goes to flower – I think that’s probably time six months ahead. rocket being rocket, it’s pretty hard to grow. “In December, I’m thinking about celery Fennel gets stuck in the (drain) gullies, and leeks. In winter, I’m thinking about so that’s a bit tricky.” tomatoes and basil. But it’s all fun, I love Hydroponic plants grow in nutrient-rich oxygenated water, which is fed to the root system. Rather than soil, the Tregidgas use seed-raising mix. Right: carrots are grown in large planter bags outside.

thisnzlife.co.nz 17

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

"The family thought I was a bit crazy, but they let me do my thing." planning, it’s my thing.” The bounty of crops under Liz’s regime highlighted a big problem for the business. Their team could produce high-quality, nutritious produce and turn up at all the markets, but if it was raining, customers wouldn’t come out to buy them. “I thought ‘oh my gosh, I’ve got to find another way' – our income would be cut in half on those weekends.” That’s when she thought of selling veggie boxes, thinking it’s better to work smarter, not harder. “The family thought I was a bit crazy, but they let me do my thing.” The family used to have to attend five weekly markets around Auckland, stumbling out of bed at 4.30am. When we first spoke to them in March, pre-lockdown, they were selling 60-70 boxes a week. They were aiming to get to 100 and had cut back to just two markets. But when the country went into Level 4 lockdown, everyone wanted a box.

18 NZ Lifestyle Block

Phil Tregidga's family is well known in the growing industry in NZ. His grandad was one of the first to grow tomatoes in a hothouse, and he and his brothers pioneered hydroponics.

“It was madness,” says Amy. “We opened up the website (shop) on April 1 and received 250 orders for veggie boxes in two hours and had to close it again. It was awesome, but very overwhelming.” The same thing has happened every week since. The team has been working long hours – all contained within their bubble – to get all the work done.

Normally, customers can choose a selection of fresh, seasonal salad greens, herbs, edible flowers, and a range of other vegetables, or opt for a mixed seasonal box. The massive demand since the virus hit NZ means they've only had the time and stock to do mixed boxes. Liz is called the boss by everyone, parents included, but she says the business is a team effort. Her dad does the growing, maintains the hydroponic system, and handles the sprays and fertiliser. Her mum is ‘the backbone’, working on the farm, looking after staff, and offering moral support. Sister Amy created their first website and handles all their marketing and customer communications. Liz took over running the farm aged 25 and says it took her about six months to find it was her passion. “I just love that we’re growing all these vegetables, then going to the market and selling them directly to customers and seeing how grateful they are. If (the company) was still selling to supermarkets, I wouldn’t be doing this. “Growers have a hard life, and it’s so amazing getting feedback from customers. It’s very much appreciated.” It’s also a lot of hard work. Before the lockdown, Liz was working seven days a week, but taking Monday mornings off to learn how to surf.

F E AT U R E

Alexey Stiop | Dreamstime.com

T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

“I work a lot. I work too much. I needed to break away and do something for me, so I’ve been going up to Mangawai every Monday. I leave at 6am, have my surf lesson – it’s a ladies class, we have a good laugh, and I’m standing now. Then when I get home, I’m on the computer from 3pm until 10pm, getting our orders ready so we can do the harvest the next morning." She's given up the surfing for now but says she's feeling positive. “There’s a saying, no-one gets into horticulture to make money. It’s a lifestyle. It’s hard work, and a lot of people don’t like hard work. But you’re not sitting in an office. You’re working with plants, and you’re creating food for people. It's my passion."

Liz’s favourite vegetables When you’re a grower, you end up munching on veggies as you work. That’s how Liz gets most of her 5+ a day. “I love our carrots; I always snack on them. The sugar snap peas are right outside my house and I love going out and eating them fresh, they’re really sweet. And the broccolini, you can even eat them raw. They’re so good.”

Amy Tregidga helping out with the microgreens. She works in marketing, created the family's first company website, and handles customer inquiries.

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thisnzlife.co.nz 19

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

The Outstanding NZ Food Producer awards celebrate Kiwis who harvest, grow, and make high quality food and drinks

Going NZGAP

W H AT G O E S I N T O A BOX OF GOODNE SS oxygen levels in the water. A special UV The Outstanding NZ Food Producer filter system and certified organic hydrogen judges were impressed with Clevedon peroxide stop the build-up. Herbs & Produces’ strong commitment to Loose salad greens are packed in NZsustainability. made Econic EcoClear bags, which break When the family grew for supermarkets, down in compost in 10-14 days. they were required to use chemical sprays The cardboard boxes are made and on their crops to keep them ‘clean’ of bugs printed by East Tamaki company, Boxrite. and disease. Today, they use preventative Locals can drop theirs back, and the organic products. Tregidgas will re-use them. “We thought, we don’t want to "It's not Supporting local companies spray these chemicals anymore,” says Liz. “I didn’t want my dad necessary to and using sustainable packaging is an important part of their going out in a big spray suit, and have all this strategy. we didn’t want it for our health, packaging “We don’t want to use plastic,” let alone our customers’ health.” when we're says Liz. “We don’t want to be One organic spray helps to delivering responsible for putting harmful prevent bugs such as aphids straight to the things in the ground, and it’s getting out of control; another not necessary to have all this strengthens plant cells, which customer." packaging when we’re delivering helps them resist disease. straight to the customer. “Autumn is the worst time of year for “The bags are for the baby spinach and diseases. The nights are getting colder, but the salads. Sometimes we put a rubber it’s still hot during the day, and the plants band around the herbs. Everything else is just don’t like it.” packed loose into the box. We put beetroot, But the biggest challenge is in the butternut, and carrots at the bottom, and middle of summer when the water we cushion the tomatoes (in summer) in temperature in the hydroponic drains rises. the middle.” Green algae grow in the gullies, depleting 20 NZ Lifestyle Block

Last year, Clevedon Herbs & Produce became NZGAP certified. NZ Good Agricultural Practice certification is a farm assurance standard run by Horticulture NZ, recognised and accepted by retailers worldwide. Growers must show they meet safe and sustainable production methods, including food safety, environmental, and quality assurance standards. “We didn’t have to change anything (for our audit), there was no big overhaul which was good,” says Liz. “We just had to formally organise some things, like ‘is the first aid kit in the office cupboard?’, yes it is, then tick it off. “We were a bit stressed out leading up to (the audit) because you never know what they’re going to say, but overall, we were doing all the right things.”

www.newzealandgap.co.nz

F E AT U R E T H E L I T T L E B LO C K B U S I N E S S T H AT C O U L D

Clevedon Herbs & Produce

took home the Spirit of New Zealand Award in the annual Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards. It’s sponsored by our sister magazine, NZ Life & Leisure and is awarded to the entry that showcases Kiwi ingenuity. There was a 25 percent increase in entries for ONZFPA 2020, all sniffed, tasted, licked, chewed, and swallowed by a team of 25 expert judges. Products range from specialty meats to dairy-free yoghurt, convenience pre-cooked meals to vegetables and seeds. The supreme champions were Bostock Brothers’ Organic Whole Chicken, which the judges described as having outstanding flavour. The new Drink category was also strong with soothing teas, kefir, and kombuchas. It was won by Forage & Ferment whose owner Kelli Walker, lives just down the road from the Tregidgas, and uses their vegetables and herbs.

Be in to win!* Here’s a chance to win some great artisan food from two of this year’s Outstanding NZ Food Producer Award winners. We’re giving away: • Two boxes of Forage & Ferment Wild Kefir Soda, valued at $47.96 each • Two 6-packs of ice cream by Pure NZ Ice Cream, valued at $108 each. Entries close 29 June 2020

• Bostock Brothers’ free-range organic chicken named Supreme Champion •The buzz on Kelli Walker’s burgeoning business thisNZlife.co.nz

For a full list of winners

Enter www.thisNZlife.co.nz *conditions apply, read more on thisNZlife.co.nz

outstandingfoodproducer.co.nz

thisnzlife.co.nz 21

SELF-SUFFICIENCY THE GOOD LIFE

jungle of delicious

Welcome to the

22 NZ Lifestyle Block

SELF-SUFFICIENCY THE GOOD LIFE

Red pinapple.

possible, as many species as possible, in a fashion that they are beneficial to each other,” says Hawi. “There’s safety in biodiversity; never put all your eggs in one basket.” Words & images Sheryn Dean The couple, originally from Germany, Additional images Hawi Winter wasn’t used to the climate of the hilly, westerly North Waikato. With no internet to help them back in the late 1980s, they f tree aficionado Hawi Winter could give researched, questioned locals, and relied you one piece of advice, this would be on trial and error. it: don’t plant pine trees. When they first began planting, their If Susann Winter could give you one block received winter temperatures as low piece of advice? Don’t plant pine trees. as -7°C. Today, the sheer number of trees has They found this out the hard way. They’re elevated the microclimate to an almost froststill fighting to get rid of the ones free environment. Hawi describes they planted, but they love the “There’s safety it as a sheltered, tropical-looking thousands of other trees that cover in biodiversity; plantation. Not so much a ‘food their block, an hour’s drive south forest,’ he muses, as an organic, never put all of Auckland. organised food jungle. your eggs in When they bought the land, It’s also home to incredible one basket.” 33 years ago, it was pasture, biodiversity, full of bugs, birds, fish, completely exposed to the and a special army which happily Who: Hawi & Susann Winter westerly winds, with no trees at all. helps out in the understorey. Where: North Waikato, Today, there’s barely any open space “Chickens are our workers,” says Hawi. 1 hour south of Auckland left. There’s row after row of windbreaks, “They prevent explosions of pest and bugs, woodlots, macadamias, chestnuts, pip fruit, in particular green vegetable bugs in the Land: 10ha (25 acres) stone fruit, avocados, cherimoyas, citrus, macadamias. We don’t have those; we have What: over 200 fruit and a lot of unusual edibles. a volunteer army and too many eggs.” and nut varieties “Our philosophy was to develop a natural Their jungle produces enough food for ecosystem by having as many plants as everyone in the family, with lots leftover to

Thirty-three years ago, Hawi and Susann Winter decided to create a jungle of the most delicious kind.

thisnzlife.co.nz 23

SELF-SUFFICIENCY THE GOOD LIFE

Monstera is better known as a house plant (fruit salad plant). But if you’re patient, it produces a delicious fruit.

Yacon (far left) and Nicotiana growing under a nashi pear tree.

give away to friends and to sell. Now their jungle is relatively mature, Hawi and Susann’s main tasks are: pruning, and removing diseased or wind-damaged trees; composting and mulching – “the devil digs and God mulches,” says (nonreligious) Hawi; mowing; weeding; harvesting. Then there’s the hardest task, developing their marketing skills so they can sell their crops. They battle daily with introduced weeds such as banana passionfruit, privet, woolly nightshade, Japanese honeysuckle, and jasmine. Controlling pests such as rats, possums, and rabbits is also ongoing, but the couple is always happy to share their fruit with the local kererū. Their planting regime isn’t the key to wealth, says Hawi, but it is the key to satisfaction.

• •

The incredible edibles of Hawi & Susann Winter

Monstera deliciosa

More commonly thought of as a house plant, the architectural Monstera deliciosa (also known as fruit salad plant) thrives in the understory of Hawi’s jungle. The fruit tastes horrendous as it grows – it’s so high in oxalic acid, rats and possums ignore it. But the bitterness dissipates as it ripens over a year. While it requires patience and care to get a crop to harvest, the delicious flesh is worth it; the Latin name ‘deliciosa’ refers to the taste of the fully ripe fruit, a mix of banana and pineapple. Hawi’s tip: only eat fruit where the exterior scales have fallen off.

Moso bamboo

Alpine strawberries.

24 NZ Lifestyle Block

This is quick-growing once established. As in super quick – more than 30cm per day at its fastest. Phyllostachys edulis is an attractive and edible windbreak for a food forest. Terrifyingly, it’s also one of the ‘spreading’ bamboos, and we’ve all heard horror stories about what they can do. However, it’s relatively slow to spread. If you harvest the new shoots during their growing season (six weeks in early spring),

Moso bamboo shoots are a delicacy

it can be kept in check. Susann cooked it in a tasty risotto for lunch. It’s firm, slightly crunchy, with a mild, unique flavour.

Fuchsia

All fuchsias are edible (both berries and flowers), but some taste better than others. Hawi’s fuchsia grows multi-stemmed to about 2m. Each stem bends over due to clusters of berries, which are tipped with

Prillfoto, Hopsalka | Dreamstime.com, BIOSPHOTO / Alamy Stock Photo

• • •

SELF-SUFFICIENCY THE GOOD LIFE

Preparing the moso bamboo shoots for cooking.

A Rocoto chilli in the understorey.

Casana look very similar to their relative, the tamarillo.

Bananas

a stunning red flower. The 2-3cm oblong berries progressively ripen to a dark purple colour. Their flesh is soft, delicious, with a hint of ripe fig, and contains small seeds. Hawi says his one is probably Fuchsia corymbiflora, commonly known as the Peruvian berry bush, a deciduous, frosttender shrub.

If you love bananas, Hawi and Susann’s trees will make your mouth water. They have more than 10 different types. Some are named varieties, while others are from fellow enthusiasts, such as Waiuku Choice. Hawi considers them an essential part of their food jungle, providing regular, ample bunches of small tasty fruit for little effort.

Esben Hansen | Dreamstime.com

Cherimoya

Mark Twain called the cherimoya (Annona cherimola) “the most delicious fruit known to men”, and Hawi agrees, rating it as his favourite. The soft, fist-sized fruit is reminiscent of ice-cream in both flavour and texture. It’s rarely available to buy as it’s too easily damaged during processing and transport. The tree is easy-care, dense, and fastgrowing, reaching about 5m. It thrives in the Winter’s frost-free climate and produces masses of fruit from late winter to early spring.

Figs

Figs are another of his recommendations

Cherimoya is Hawi’s favourite, reminscent of vanilla ice cream for a food forest. They’re an easy-care tree, and you get good crops if you harvest early in the morning and beat the birds. Hawi has seven different varieties that spread the fruiting season over a long period. Figs can sucker and create a thicket, so you need to prune them back if you don’t have a lot of space. The advantage is that you can give away the trimmings which strike easily.

Grosse Longue Verte, a big, pink-fleshed, sweet-tasting fig.

thisnzlife.co.nz 25

SELF-SUFFICIENCY THE GOOD LIFE

Sweet chestnuts didn’t do well for Hawi.

Pineapples

The red pineapple (Annanas bracteatus) is slightly more cold-hardy than the tropical yellow variety sold in supermarkets. It grows and produces best in full sun, but Hawi also has them growing successfully in the understorey of his jungle. The waist-high spiky bromeliads send up a flower stalk that develops into a pineapple. It’s pretty to look at and very tasty when ripe. Unfortunately, the fruit Hawi had been waiting to ripen was eaten before he could harvest it, possibly by possums or rats.

Plums

Plums are the reliable mainstay of any orchard and do well in temperate or subtropical food forests. They’re so easy-care and prolific they tend to be disregarded by a lot of gardeners. Red pineapple.

Loquats.

But there’s a wide variety of flavours to suit every taste, from delicate greengages to the intense damson. Hawi believes that plums – particularly freestone varieties – should be included in every food forest. If you can’t eat them, you can follow his example and turn them into very drinkable wine.

Apples

Apples might seem boring, but homegrown ones vary so much in taste and flavour and are quite different from the limited varieties you can buy in supermarkets. Hawi rates them as the most productive fruit of everything he grows.

Hawi’s tips

• Choose the rootstock suitable for your

soil and climate, so they naturally thrive. Plant a selection that extends the season; he has early apple varieties which start fruiting in January, right through to late ones such as Granny Smith, still hanging on the tree at the end of autumn.

•

Loquats

This is a cold-hardy, tropical-looking tree, with green, thick leaves all year round. It’s easy-care and worth including in a food forest for its looks alone. The bonus is the delicate yellow fruit, which ripens in early December. The only problem says Hawi ruefully, is too many are usually consumed by the other animals that inhabit their block (birds, possums, rats). 26 NZ Lifestyle Block

Hawi and Susann are amazing gardeners, but even their green thumbs couldn’t overcome issues with these trees:

• stone fruit, as most fruit succumbed to brown rot;

• sweet chestnuts, due to poor

quality of nut flavour, processing properties, and shelf-life;

• pine nuts, which require specialty machinery to harvest and process;

• pecan nuts and cherries, which don’t produce enough in their climate.

Cape gooseberry

This rampant self-seeder is considered a weed by some, but Physalis peruviana is also a no-maintenance option in a food forest’s herbal layer. It’s a member of the tomato family, so grows as an annual in colder climates, but if your place is frostfree, it will survive for several seasons. It produces prolific amounts of small, Chinese lantern-like husks that turn from green to a transparent brown. Inside is a tasty golden berry full of tiny seeds, similar to a tomato. Birds love them and spread the seeds which pop up everywhere. They seem to do exceptionally well if beside or under canopy trees.

Vladi59, Oleksandr Boiko, Wxj651208 | Dreamstime.com

Cape gooseberries.

5 trees that didn’t work

SELF-SUFFICIENCY THE GOOD LIFE

Guavas

Guavas are tropical looking but frost hardy, and notoriously easy care (feijoas are a type of guava). Hawi rates the yellow cherry guava as his favourite, although it was the red one that produced better for me in the South Waikato. He has a selection of different varieties from an old growing trial that were imported from South America. He says some are more attractive to a herd of roaming wild goats than others and have been chewed off several times. There’s a wide variation in the size, shape, and flavour of the fruit. Guavas grow into woody shrubs or small trees and produce prolific amounts of cherrysized fruit.

Sheryn’s tip

The easiest way to harvest ripe guava: lay weed mat or a sheet of canvas around the base of the plant, then shake the bush.

Hawi’s tips for creating a sustainable block

• always plan 50 years ahead. • you can’t expect to be in equilibrium with nature when you first start.

• debris should be left in place to

One of Hawi’s trees ripens in mid-winter.

be decomposed by saprophytic organisms (ie, fungi).

Avocados

These are easy to grow from seed. Place the stone in a glass of water and sit it on a windowsill, or plant it in a compost pile. Hawi has several named, grafted varieties and produces enough avocados to sell. He also has some that haven’t produced anything in 20 years. However, there is one that has a thin skin and looks like a smaller version of the Hass variety. It ripens very early (in the middle of winter) and has such striking, new, red foliage that Hawi says it’s worth growing for its beauty alone.

Kwanchaichaiudom | Dreamstime.com

•

• the most important thing is to

have ultra-reliable tools, particularly when you have to drive a distance for repairs.

The 1 thing Hawi wouldn’t grow again

If he had his time over, there’s one group of trees Hawi wouldn’t plant. “Don’t plant woodlots – I wouldn’t do so again. There’s so much timber (for firewood) coming from other trees like windbreaks.”

Guavas.

Sheryn Dean (ex-Clothier) spent 12 years on an organic lifestyle block in the Waikato experimenting with growing nutrient-dense food in a ecologically-friendly manner. She offers her services as a consultant and tutor to help others on the same journey. See www.LaLS.nz

thisnzlife.co.nz 27

F E AT U R E DIY: THE PL ANTER BOX

DIY: The planter box An easy way to create a bespoke planter box for your backyard. Words & images Julie & Jel Legg

C PROJE

DI Y Julieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tip

We designed our box around a 44-litre square plastic tub, but you can adjust the dimensions to suit any pot size.

28 NZ Lifestyle Block

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

F E AT U R E DIY: THE PL ANTER BOX

Resene colour guide The choice of wood stains for this project come from the Resene range.

Resene Earthsong

wooden planter box can look like it costs the earth, but this DIY project is easy and cheap to build. You can customise it to suit your home, using rough-sawn fence palings, smooth decking, shiplap panels, or tongue-andgroove flooring timber like we’ve used. Rather than fill the planter with potting mix – expensive, heavy, unnecessary – we’ve used it as a facade and made it big enough to hold a plastic pot. The pot retains the moisture and nutrients for the plant roots, helps prevent rot in the wood, and you can easily swap the plant out. It also makes the planter a manageable weight when you want to move it.

STEP 2: Cutting template

Back

350mm

15m x 135mm x 18mm TG&V pine flooring

*tongue and groove with a V joint

Resene Banjul

5.5m x 65mm x 18mm pine trim 2 lengths x 1.2mm x 45mm x 19mm pine trim 30mm screws & pin nails Resene Woodsman penetrating oil stain (exterior)

How to make

STEP 3: Cutting template 460mm

500mm

Front

Materials you will need

Side 1

Side 2

Slot the tongue-and-groove (TG&V) flooring together until you’ve created a ‘sheet’ that is five lengths high and 3m long.

320mm

TG&V pine flooring

At one end, measure in 500mm along the top. Mark the centre (250mm), then make the same mark at the bottom – measure 175mm on either side (350mm total) to create a wide funnel shape. Cut, then use it as a template to create an identical piece.

thisnzlife.co.nz 29

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

F E AT U R E DIY: THE PL ANTER BOX

Re s e ne E

ar th s on g

If you’re planning to use dark colours use a CoolColour version of your colour to help keep the planter box cooler.

Place one of the 500mmwide completed sides on a flat surface with the wider width at the top. Lay two lengths of 65mm x 18mm pine trim along both angled vertical edges with an overhang of 18mm – this overhang will be important in Steps 7 and 8. Mark the pieces of pine trim with a pencil, so the bottom edges are flush with the bottom of the TG&V and cut to length.

Use a Stanley knife to remove the ‘tongue’ from the exposed ends (there’ll be one on each of the four funnel shapes you’ve created). Sand to remove any burrs.

Drill pilot holes, then secure the TG&V paneling to the trim with 30mm screws. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the other 500mm-wide side. If you want a ‘blind screw finish’ (where you don’t see any fixings) screw from the TG&V side as this face will be inwards once the planter is assembled.

Resene’s tip

To create the sides of the planter, measure in 460mm at the top of the remaining panels. Mark the centre (230mm), then make the same mark at the bottom – measure 160mm on either side to create a funnel shape. Cut, then use it as a template to create an identical piece.

Flip the threesided structure over and repeat with the remaining 460mm side to complete the fourth side.

30 NZ Lifestyle Block

Prop the 500mm sides on their edge with the trim facing outwards, screw heads facing inwards. Nestle one of the 460mm sides in the 18mm gap created on each side of the trim. Screw in place.

JULIE’S TIP: use a piece of the 18mm trim as a guide, which saves constant measuring.

F E AT U R E DIY: THE PL ANTER BOX

How do I protect colours from sun damage?

What paint is best for terracotta pots?

Measure and cut the remaining lengths of 65mm x 18mm pine to create the L-shaped external corners of the planter. Again, if you want a ‘blind screw finish’, fix screws from the inside.

How do I prep my deck before staining it?

10 Reinforce the lip of the tub with offcuts of 65x18mm pine trim cut into small triangles and secure inside the structure in each corner with screws. We placed ours so they are hidden under the lip of the plastic tub.

What colour should I paint my fence?

Is this paint kind to the environment?

Measure and cut 45mm x 19mm pine trim with 45° angles at each end to fit the upper edges of the planter. Secure with pin nails.

12 Stain. We used three coats of Resene Woodsman penetrating oil stain (exterior) tinted to Resene Earthsong and Resene Banjul.

How do I stop metal posts and gates from rusting?

For helpful advice on all your decorating projects see your local Resene ColorShop or ask an expert free online:

Ask a Tech Expert resene.co.nz/technicalexpert Ask a Colour Expert resene.co.nz/colourexpert

www.resene.co.nz/colorshops

thisnzlife.co.nz 31

F E AT U R E COOL CROPS

WHAT TO PLANT

Cool crops

As Jack Frost arrives, the harvest of fresh fruit and veggies slows down. But there are several stalwarts that survive the cold, and it’s the ideal time to plant fruit trees. WORDS Jane Wrigglesworth

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32 NZ Lifestyle Block

MUSTARD GREENS

ROCKET (ARUGULA)

VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS:

Frills, Giant Red, Komatsuna, Mizuna, Red Leaf, Streaks. WHY THEY’RE NUTRITIOUS: Extremely high in vitamins K, A, C, E, calcium. TRANSPLANT/DIRECT SOW: Sow in trays for transplanting later or plant seedlings in garden beds or containers. GERMINATION: The soil temperature needs to be at least 12°C for germination. Keep seed trays in a warm, sheltered spot. GROWING CONDITIONS: Mustard greens will grow in direct sun or partial shade. In cold areas, protect plants under a cloche, hoops covered with frost cloth, or in a tunnel house. They’re not fussy about soil type as long as it’s fertile (lots of compost added) and moist (not soggy). GROWING TIPS: Mustards are pepperyflavoured greens that prefer cool weather, and can tolerate a light frost. Harvest the young leaves as they grow. Older leaves become tough and bitter (and can be made into pickles). Evenly moist soil produces the best-tasting mustard greens, so water regularly if there is no rain. DAYS TO HARVEST: 4 weeks.

Annual rocket (Eruca sativa); perennial wild rocket (Diplotaxis erucoides). WHY IT’S NUTRITIOUS: Contains vitamins K, A, C, folate. TRANSPLANT/DIRECT SOW: Sow in trays for transplanting later or plant seedlings in garden beds or containers. In spring and summer, rocket can be sown directly into the garden. GERMINATION: Annual rocket is best sown in spring and summer. Perennial rocket can be sown under cover in earlymid winter or direct in late winter. GROWING CONDITIONS: Sun or light shade in the north. Plant in free-draining soil with plenty of compost. Rocket can endure frost but in particularly chilly spots, protect plants with a cloche or hoops covered in frost cloth, or move containers to a sheltered spot. GROWING TIPS: Annual rocket has more rounded leaves. Wild rocket, a perennial, has deeply divided foliage and is often grown as an annual. Harvest continuously as needed, and the plants will grow new leaves. Pinch off any flowers as they appear to prevent the plants from going to seed, to extend the harvest. DAYS TO HARVEST: 4 weeks.

LOW-WASTE LIVING GREEN TRAVEL

Ollustrator | iStock

Life & Leisure

EASY STEPS TO A LIGHTER FOOTPRINT

Sustainability

F E AT U R E COOL CROPS

Rocket.

Thyme.

Radish microgreens.

Svetlana Popova | Dreamstime, triocean, Olha_Afanasieva, Madeleine_Steinbach | iStock

Mustard greens.

www.thisnzlife.co.nz 33

F E AT U R E COOL CROPS

Rosemary.

Pears.

Garlic.

Jules_Kitano, Lex20, YuriyS | iStock, Hel080808 | Dreamstime.com

Apples.

34 NZ Lifestyle Block

F E AT U R E COOL CROPS

GARLIC VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS: Large

Purple Rocambole, Soft Top Pearl, Spanish Red, Takahue Red, Thames Golden. WHY IT’S NUTRITIOUS: The sulphur compounds in garlic have cardiovascular, digestive, anti-inflammatory, and immune system health benefits. Excellent source of vitamin B6 and manganese. TRANSPLANT/DIRECT SOW: Direct sow cloves. Break off individual cloves from seed garlic and plant the fattest ones in nutrient-rich soil in full sun. Push each clove, unpeeled and pointy end up, about 5cm deep into the soil, 10cm-15cm apart. GROWING CONDITIONS: Soil must be free-draining. In heavy, waterlogged soil, the cloves are likely to rot. Sandy loam is ideal, although a free-draining clay soil is fine. Enrich the soil with plenty of organic matter, such as compost or sheep pellets. GROWING TIPS: Garlic is traditionally planted on the shortest day of the year, but it can be sown throughout June and July. Use certified disease-free seed garlic, available from garden retailers. As soon as the leaves appear, feed fortnightly with a balanced fertiliser for a couple of months. Cut off any flower stalks that grow in spring. If the plants spend energy growing flowers, the bulbs won’t grow as big. Be diligent about weeding as garlic doesn’t like competition. DAYS TO HARVEST: About 250 days, when the tops begin to turn yellow and fall over.

THYME VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS:

Caraway thyme (Thymus herba-barona), common thyme, creeping thyme, lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus). WHY IT’S NUTRITIOUS: One teaspoon of thyme provides 21 percent of daily vitamin K needs and 7 percent of iron. It’s also high in antioxidants. GERMINATION: Thyme is a hardy evergreen herb. There are many species

and cultivars, which can be grown from seed, but it’s easy and quicker to take cuttings in early spring, or you can buy fully grown plants from the garden centre. If you do sow seeds, do it in trays from late winter. Don’t cover, and place in a warm, sheltered spot to germinate. TRANSPLANT/DIRECT SOW: Best sown in trays, or transplant seedlings or young plants. Protect young plants in winter. GROWING CONDITIONS: Plant in full sun in free-draining soil. Thyme doesn’t like wet feet, so add pumice or grit to improve drainage if necessary. Avoid rich fertilisers as thyme does best in average – not rich – soil. Add lime if soil is acidic (a soil test will determine this) as thyme prefers alkaline conditions. GROWING TIPS: Although droughttolerant, thyme benefits from the occasional watering in dry spells. Trim plants after flowering to prevent woodiness. Thyme doesn’t need feeding but will benefit from blood and bone in spring. DAYS TO HARVEST: 1 year.

ROSEMARY

free-draining soil. Rosemary hates wet feet. Incorporate grit or pumice in heavy clay soil, or plant in raised beds or pots. Full sun is best, although light shade won’t harm plants. Heavy frosts may ‘burn’ the tips of plants, so position rosemary in a sheltered spot in cooler areas. GROWING TIPS: Rosemary is a perennial stalwart, surviving the winter cold for continuous harvesting. There is an upright form, which grows 60-150cm high, and a low-growing form, which has a creeping or cascading habit. Protect young plants from the cold. If damaged by frosts, cut back in spring, not winter, or the new shoots may become damaged again. Plants in the ground typically don’t need feeding; those in containers can be fed occasionally with a balanced fertiliser. Prune plants after flowering so they don’t become lanky. DAYS TO HARVEST: 1 year from seed or cuttings.

PEARS/APPLES VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS:

VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS:

Alba, Benenden Blue (low spreading bush), Miss Jessopp’s Upright, Pink Upright, Tuscan Blue. WHY IT’S NUTRITIOUS: leaves and flowers are very high in antioxidants. GERMINATION: Rosemary seeds need bottom heat to germinate. Unless a heating mat is available, it’s easier to take cuttings. Take these in spring from new growth or in summer from non-flowering stems, and plant in seed raising mix. TRANSPLANT/DIRECT SOW: Sow in trays on a heating mat in spring or summer, or transplant seedlings or young plants. Protect young plants in winter. GROWING CONDITIONS: The most important requirement for rosemary is

Apples: Hetlina (high in antioxidants, early), Oratia Beauty (tart, good for cooking, early), Cox’s Orange Pippin (early-to-mid season), Sir Prize (midto-late), Sturmer Pippin (late), Winter Banana (late), Monty’s Surprise (high in antioxidants, late). Pears: Beurre Bosc (mid), Seckel (small gourmet pear, mid), Doyenne du Comice (gourmet pear, mid-to-late), Taylor’s Gold (midto-late). WHY THEY’RE NUTRITIOUS: One medium apple contains 14 percent of daily vitamin C needs. One medium pear has 12 percent of the daily vitamin C requirement. GROWING CONDITIONS: Plant in a sunny, sheltered spot with free-draining soil. www.thisnzlife.co.nz 35

F E AT U R E COOL CROPS

GROWING TIPS: Apples and pears are

some of the easiest fruits to grow. If short on space, choose one of the many dwarf fruit trees available. Trees should be pruned each year in late winter before any new growth starts. Prune strong branches back by a quarter to a third and trim back young laterals (side shoots), leaving 3-6 buds. Pruning to just above an outwardfacing bud will ensure branches grow outwards rather than into the centre of the tree. Remove any spindly or downward-facing branches, and any that rub against one another. DAYS TO HARVEST: 1-2 years.

RHUBARB VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS:

Dalmatian, Glaskins Perpetual, Victoria, Winter Wonder. WHY IT’S NUTRITIOUS: Rhubarb has high levels of vitamin K and C as well as calcium, potassium, and manganese. TRANSPLANT/DIRECT SOW: Plant crowns directly in the garden, spaced 1m apart. Fully grown plants are available from garden retailers in spring or summer for planting out. GROWING CONDITIONS: Choose a sunny spot with good drainage. Dig deep and add plenty of organic matter such as compost or aged manure. Rhubarb prefers a more acidic soil (a pH between 5.0-6.5), so don’t plant it near concrete paths or edgings, as lime from the concrete can leach out and raise the pH. GROWING TIPS: Don’t harvest any stalks the first year – let the plant become established. Remove seed stalks as soon as they appear to keep the plant producing fresh stalks. Apply a mulch of compost around it in summer to retain moisture, but keep the compost clear of the crowns as they can rot. In spring and summer, water regularly and feed with a liquid fertiliser once every 2-4 weeks. Short, thin stems are caused by poor nutrition and overly warm growing conditions. DAYS TO HARVEST: 365 days. 36 NZ Lifestyle Block

PEACHES/ NECTARINES VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS:

Peaches: Blazingstar (early), Redhaven (early, freestone), Hiawatha (mid), Flatto Sweet Cap (flat peach, mid), Sweet Perfection (good resistance to leaf curl, late), Golden Queen (classic bottling peach, late). Nectarines: Snow Queen (early), Flavourzee (dwarf, mid), Mabel (beautiful tree with purple leaves, mid), Theo Ching (mid-late). WHY THEY’RE NUTRITIOUS: One medium peach or nectarine contains 15 percent of daily vitamin C needs and 6 percent of daily vitamin A requirements. GROWING CONDITIONS: Plant in direct sun in well-drained soil in a spot sheltered from the wind. Make sure newly planted trees are well watered while roots are establishing. GROWING TIPS: Deciduous fruit trees are available from garden retailers in winter. They’re best planted when dormant. Some fruit trees need a pollinating partner, but peaches and nectarines are self-fertile and don’t need to cross-pollinate. In humid areas, peaches and nectarines are prone to brown rot. A preventative spray will help keep this under control, or at least reduce it. Spray copper fungicide in late winter or early spring. Do this once before flowering, once after, and once again in autumn. Prune trees in late summer (when it’s dry) to an open centre. This allows sunlight to penetrate and air to circulate, reducing the spread of fungal spores. Remove any infected fruit from the tree and ground as soon as possible. In humid areas, choose an early fruiting variety, as most humidity issues in New Zealand occur in February. In cool areas, a lateseason variety may be best to avoid late frosts while flowering. DAYS TO HARVEST: 2-4 years.

PLUMS VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS:

Japanese: Duff ’s Early Jewel (ready for

Christmas, early), Santa Rosa (early-mid), Black Doris (mid), Luisa (yellow skin with red blush, mid). European: Greengage (mid-late), Damson (mid-late). WHY THEY’RE NUTRITIOUS: One medium plum contains 10 percent of daily vitamin C needs and 5 percent each of daily vitamin K and A requirements. GROWING CONDITIONS: While many European plums are self-fertile, Japanese plums almost always require crosspollination. Even self-fertile plum trees will crop better with another tree planted nearby. European and Japanese plum trees don’t cross-pollinate because of the different blooming times. To pollinate a European plum tree, plant another European plum tree. To pollinate a Japanese plum tree, plant a second Japanese plum. Plum trees like a free-draining, fertile soil, so dig in compost and fertiliser at planting time and plant in full sun. GROWING TIPS: Japanese plums are soft and juicy, and their large fruit can be eaten straight from the tree. While they can be used for cooking, they generally lack the distinctive flavour of European plums. A prune plum is a European type, and has high sugar levels, allowing them to dry well without spoiling. They can be eaten fresh as well. European plums may be sweet or tart. The Damson plum is primarily grown for bottling and other culinary uses because of its tart, acidic flavour. Greengage, on the other hand, is a deliciously sweet, succulent fruit that can be plucked from the tree and eaten on the spot. European plums flower later than Japanese ones, so they are best for cooler regions; late frosts may damage the flowers of Japanese plums. Give newly planted fruit trees a seaweed-based fertiliser to ensure good stem and leafy growth. After a couple of years, apply an organic, high potassium fruit-tree fertiliser in early spring to promote flowers and fruit. In autumn, apply sulphate of potash, which is when trees are developing their flowering buds. DAYS TO HARVEST: 2-4 years.

F E AT U R E COOL CROPS

Plums.

Rhubarb.

Peaches.

coramueller, chang joo lee, NRuedisueli, lnzyx | iStock

Alpine strawberries.

www.thisnzlife.co.nz 37

F E AT U R E COOL CROPS

STRAWBERRIES / ALPINE STRAWBERRIES

Red cabbage microgreens.

VARIETY RECOMMENDATIONS

Common: Camarosa, Chandler, Pajaro, Strawberry Sundae. Alpine: Red Alpine, White Alpine, White Alpine Pineapple. WHY THEY’RE NUTRITIOUS:

•

Microgreens Microgreens are vegetable greens harvested when 3-5cm tall, after the cotyledon leaves (the ones that first appear after germination) and the very first true leaves appear. They’re bigger than sprouts, and where sprouts are grown in water, microgreens are grown in soil. Microgreens can be a yearround crop, but they’re especially useful for growing and harvesting through winter. Use a shallow container. Poke a few drainage holes in the bottom and use the container lid as a drip tray. Add 5cm of seed raising mix to the bottom of the container. Spread the mix evenly and press the soil firmly into place with your fingertips. Mist the potting mix with water until it’s moist, but not soggy. Use seeds from almost any

kind of herb or vegetable. Tasty options include radish, broccoli, pea, rocket, and basil (best grown in summer). Scatter the seeds over the top of the seed raising mix. Lightly press into the soil with your fingertips and mist with water. Sprinkle seed raising mix on top of the seeds. Mist the seeds again until the top of the soil is moist. Place trays in a warm spot, but not in direct sunlight. Mist with water regularly to ensure seeds don’t dry out but don’t let the soil become soggy. Once the seeds germinate, place the container near a sunny window. Once they’ve all germinated, give the tiny seedlings 7-10 days to grow before you begin harvesting. Snip off at soil level. Plants won’t regrow, so keep sowing regularly.

For more on microgreens visit thisnzlife.co.nz/sustainabilitytools 38 NZ Lifestyle Block

Madeleine_Steinbach/iStock

Strawberries are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and folate. ABOUT: There are two types of strawberries, the common strawberry and the alpine strawberry. Alpine strawberries are the smaller of the two, but they fruit over a longer period. GERMINATION: Only alpine strawberries are grown from seed, and they need cold stratification to sprout. Place seeds in an airtight container and put in the freezer for 2-4 weeks. Sow in starter pots. Just press the seeds onto the soil surface, don’t cover with soil. Place them where they’ll get direct sunlight. They take 2-3 weeks to sprout. Water lightly and daily during this time. TRANSPLANT/DIRECT SOW: Once the seedlings get their third leaf, transplant to larger containers or outside. For the larger, common strawberry, plant crowns outdoors as soon as purchased. GROWING CONDITIONS: Plant in full sun. Dig in plenty of organic matter such as compost or aged manure. GROWING TIPS: Mulch with straw to keep the fruit off the soil, otherwise they may decay. Feed fortnightly with seaweed fertiliser when flower buds appear. Plants send out runners when they stop fruiting. Let them put down roots, then cut them from the parent plant to create new plants. Strawberries are at their best for 3-5 years; dig out the parent plants after three or more years and compost them. DAYS TO HARVEST: Alpine strawberries, 1 year; common strawberries, 30 days after flowering.

EASY STEPS

TO A

LIGHTER FOOTPRINT EASY STEPS TO A LIGHTER FOOTPRINT

Sustainability through the seasons

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Growing

ADVICE & INSPIRATION FROM OUR EXPERT GARDENERS Page 42 6 delicous ways to use up a winter vegetable glut

dening r a G

Prune grapevines and take cuttings as

you do so. It’s easy: cut just above a bud and 5cm below it. Push the cutting into a pot of seed-raising mix with the bud resting on the soil surface. Water in and keep in a warm, sheltered, frost-free spot over winter. When roots appear, plant into a larger pot, or in the garden.

Top tips for

JUNE

Bare-rooted fruit trees are an economical option if you want to expand your orchard.

Words Jane Wrigglesworth

• PLANT out in a sunny, sheltered spot in the garden;

Sow spinach, silverbeet, radishes, peas, onions, rocket, and winter lettuces in a sheltered patch, or in large pots.

• DIG a square hole at least twice as big as the roots;

• MIX slow-release fertiliser into the soil you dig out;

Broad beans can still be

sown. Traditionally, they’re planted in double rows, about 50cm apart, running north to south to ensure each plant is exposed to adequate sunlight.

• IF your tree is grafted, make sure the graft sits above soil level;

• PLACE two stakes either side of the tree, and use flexible ties, so you don’t damage the bark;

• BACKFILL with soil, then firm it with your foot to reduce air pockets – don’t compact it though;

• IF soil is dry, water 15-20 litres after ZESTY QUINOA BOWL thisNZlife.co.nz

planting;

• WATER regularly throughout the first

year. If the soil gets dry, give the roots a good, long soaking a couple of times a week, vs small amounts of water each day.

• KEEP mulched in warmer months to conserve moisture.

40 NZ Lifestyle Block

Francesco Mou, Mahira | Dreamstime.com

GET THE RECIPE

GROWING JANE ’S GARDEN DIARY

FLORENCE FENNEL

is grown as an annual. If you didn’t get time to dig it up in autumn, fresh new feathery fronds may emerge. These can be harvested for winter salads and other dishes.

Build a cold frame to keep your seedlings, cuttings, and tender plants cosy. They’re simple to make:

• find an old window;

• build a wooden frame to fit that will sit on the ground;

•

attach the window frame to the bottom frame using hinges. An even quicker option is to push stakes into the ground and cover with frost cloth.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Admir Basic, Irena Jancauskiene, Marilyn Barbone, Peter Hermes Furian, Leopold Brix, Valentyn75 | Dreamstime.com

Dig in marigolds.

French marigolds (Tagetes patula) have a reputation for repelling nematodes, the tiny roundworms that feed on plant roots. However, it only works if you plant a suitable number and keep them growing for a certain length of time. If you plant just a smattering of marigolds for a short period or intersperse them in amongst your vegetables, it won’t help. You need to grow a solid block in the same way as a cover crop – over an entire bed, for example – for a whole season, then dig them into the soil. After that, your soil should remain nematode-free for two to three years.

BAY TREES are generally hardy

to -5°C, but hard frosts and freezing winds can turn leaves brown. Bring potted plants indoors in cold areas or protect with frost cloth. Any leaf damage can be pruned off in spring.

Basil is a warm-season annual but you can sow seeds in a warm spot indoors and harvest as microgreens for salads and as a garnish for other dishes.

PLANT SHALLOTS Shallots can be sown throughout winter in a sunny spot in fertile, compostenriched soil.

• Divide shallots into single bulbs and

plant each one root-end down. Gently press them into the soil, but leave at least a third poking out. Space 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Unlike garlic, which forms a bulb from one clove, shallots form clusters around the original bulb, so they require more space.

• Water well after planting,

and over winter if the soil is dry.

• Provide regular moisture in spring

French marigold blooms are a great treat for poultry. Dried petals added to feed will help to deepen yolk colour.

and summer. The shallot’s root system is shallow, so plants can’t get water from deep down in the soil.

French marigold petals can be used to make tea. Put 2 tsp of petals in 230ml of boiling water and steep for 5-10 minutes. Add lemon balm or mint for extra flavour.

• Feed regularly with a high nitrogen

fertiliser. Reduce feeding and watering about four weeks before harvesting. Harvest when the tops wither and turn brown, usually mid-late summer.

Plant seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, spinach, and silverbeet.

thisnzlife.co.nz 41

F E AT U R E 6 R E C I P E S T O U S E U P A W I N T E R V E G E TA B L E G LU T

Christian-Fischer | iStock

KRISTINA'S FAMOUSLY SIMPLE, NO-FAIL PUMPKIN SOUP

42 NZ Lifestyle Block

F E AT U R E 6 R E C I P E S T O U S E U P A W I N T E R V E G E TA B L E G LU T

6 RECIPES

TO USE UP A WINTER V E G E TA B L E G L U T If your pantry and garden are bursting with winter crops, here are some easy-to-make, delicious ways to use them up.

Kristina’s famously simple, no-fail pumpkin soup 4 75 minutes

SER V E S: TIME :

This is NZ Lifestyle Block columnist Kristina Jensen's favourite way to use her pumpkin harvest. INGREDIENTS

1 large chopped onion 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 2-3 tbsp grated ginger root 2 tsp green curry paste or 1 large tbsp curry powder half a large pumpkin, chopped into chunks 1 vegetable stock cube 1 tsp mustard powder 400ml coconut cream 1 tsp each of salt, freshly ground black pepper olive oil METHOD

Fry onion, ginger, and garlic in a large pot in a generous amount of olive oil, until translucent.

Add green curry paste, or curry powder mixed into 3 tbsp of water. Simmer for 30 seconds.

3 Marcin Jucha | Dreamstime.com

Add the pumpkin, cover with water, then add the stock cube. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.

Add the mustard powder, salt, pepper, and coconut cream. Puree with a handheld blender or in a food processor.

Simmer gently for another 10-15 minutes with the lid on to avoid splatters. Serve with a swirl of sour cream, croutons, chopped parsley or coriander, and pumpkin seeds.

Curried pumpkin, bacon & feta muffins 12 45 minutes

MAK E S: T I ME :

You may find you need to make two batches of these tangy, moist, melt-in-themouth muffins as they won’t last long. INGREDIENTS

2 cups self-raising flour 1 cup wholemeal flour 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp salt 1 cup cold mashed pumpkin ½ cup plain yoghurt 2 rashers of bacon, finely chopped and fried till crispy 50-100g crumbled feta 2 tbsp green or red curry paste 1 egg ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ cup milk

GET THE RECIPE

PUMPKIN & CHICKPEA COCONUT CURRY thisNZlife.co.nz

METHOD

1 2 3

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until just mixed. Spoon into a well-greased, 12-cup muffin pan. Bake for 25 minutes. thisnzlife.co.nz 43

F E AT U R E 6 R E C I P E S T O U S E U P A W I N T E R V E G E TA B L E G LU T

SPICY ORANGE, MINT & BEETROOT SALAD

Spicy orange, mint & beetroot salad

4 10 minutes, plus one hour to chill

SER VE S: T I ME :

You can use cooked or raw beetroot in this salad. The last three ingredients give the salad a unique, delicate look and different textures.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups grated raw beetroot, or finely chopped cooked beetroot 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp sesame oil ½ cup orange juice ½ tsp salt freshly ground black pepper 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped zest of one orange 3 tbsp roasted sesame seeds 3 tbsp finely chopped mint

LEAVE THIS SALAD TO SIT FOR AN HOUR BEFORE SERVING SO THE FLAVOURS ARE ABSORBED INTO THE BEETROOT 44 NZ Lifestyle Block

1 2

Combine all the ingredients and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.

Right before serving, sprinkle with orange zest, sesame seeds, and mint.

Dean Mitchell | iStock

METHOD

F E AT U R E 6 R E C I P E S T O U S E U P A W I N T E R V E G E TA B L E G LU T

BEETROOT HUMMUS

THE MORE THE BEETROOT CARAMALISES IN THE OVEN, THE BETTER THE FINAL FLAVOUR

Beetroot hummus MAK E S:

2 cups

C OOK ING TIME :

60 minutes

This is a vibrant dip or you can use it as a spread. INGREDIENTS

2 medium-sized, fresh beetroot, or 1 x 450g can sliced beetroot 2 x 425g can chickpeas ⅓ cup chickpea liquid ½ cup tahini ¼ cup olive oil 2 lemons, juiced 1 clove garlic ½ tsp salt METHOD

If you’re using fresh beetroot, preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the beetroot, lightly coat in oil, then roast in a baking dish for 50-60 minutes. If you’re using canned beetroot, drain the beetroot from the liquid.

2 3

Drain the chickpeas, reserving ⅓ of a cup of the liquid.

nata_zhekova | iStock

Add the beetroot, chickpeas, chickpea liquid, and the rest of the ingredients to a blender. Blend for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy.

Taste to test. You may want to add more seasoning, lemon juice, olive oil, or a little water if it’s too thick.

Garnish options include basil pesto, parsley, or a drizzle of olive oil. Store in the fridge for up to a week.

thisnzlife.co.nz 45

F E AT U R E 6 R E C I P E S T O U S E U P A W I N T E R V E G E TA B L E G LU T

OksanaKiian | iStock

SPICED PARSNIP HASH BROWNS

46 NZ Lifestyle Block

F E AT U R E 6 R E C I P E S T O U S E U P A W I N T E R V E G E TA B L E G LU T

Spiced parsnip hash browns MAK E S: 10-12 T I M E : 20 MINU TE S

INGREDIENTS

3-4 good sized potatoes 4 large parsnips 2 tbsp finely chopped, fresh horseradish 4 cloves garlic 4 eggs 1 tsp salt freshly ground black pepper to taste oil METHOD

1 2

Wash the potatoes and parsnips. Leave the skin on, and grate.

Finely chop or grate the horseradish and garlic. Add to a bowl and mix in the eggs, salt, and a generous grinding of black pepper.

3 4

Mix in the potatoes and parsnips.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet or non-stick pan. Drop 3-4 handfuls of mixture into the hot oil and flatten with a slotted spatula used for frying. Cook for a total of 5 minutes each side. Flip a couple of times to get a golden-brown, crispy hash.

TIPS FOR COOKING WITH PARSNIPS

• Small, young parsnips don’t need

peeling. If you do peel older parsnips, do it as thinly as possible to conserve the vitamins and minerals which sit close to the skin. Cook whole. Cook, mash, and season with chopped parsley, a pinch of cinnamon, and cream or butter. Parsnips go well with: onions; shallots; leeks; garlic; parmesan cheese; maple syrup; chestnuts; bacon.

Sarsmis | iStock

• • • • • • • • •

CRISPY VEGGIE CHIPS

Drain on absorbent paper in a warm oven while cooking the next batch.

Crispy veggie chips

METHOD

35 minutes SER VE S: 2 T I ME :

INGREDIENTS

2 root veggies of your choice, eg kumara, parsnips, carrots, potatoes 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground coriander or other spice powder salt and freshly-ground black pepper oil for cooking

USE A MANDOLIN IF YOU WANT EXTRA THIN, CRUNCHY CHIPS

1 2

Pre-heat the oven to 225°C.

Peel your vegetables. Cut in half and slice thinly. If you have one, a mandolin is an easy, fast way to get thin, consistent slices.

Mix the oil and spices in a bowl. Season with a generous helping of freshly ground black pepper and salt (about one teaspoon in total).

Toss the chips in the oil and spice mixture and coat well. Line an oven tray with baking paper and spread the oil-coated chips in a single layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning once or twice while cooking.

•

thisnzlife.co.nz 47

Farming

YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO LIVESTOCK AND PASTURE CARE Page 51 Look out for alligators

TOP TIPS FOR

June

Delay to the new rules on surgical procedures RULES ON who can carry out different surgical procedures on animals have been delayed, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. New regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 covering a wide variety of surgical procedures, including disbudding, dehorning, and lamb tail docking, were due to come into effect in May. But the Level 4 lockdown meant the usual communication to affected groups couldn't be done. The Government plans to have it in place by May 2021 at the latest.

Vet Chris Rodwell, MPI's director of animal health and welfare, says the new rules will mostly allow competent people to continue doing routine procedures on animals. However, some will have to be done to a higher standard. “People who own animals or are in charge of them – including people who work with animals – should check (with their vet) to see if they need to change what they do or the way they do it.”

48 NZ Lifestyle Block

please lighten, open up darker shadows

What do the new rules cover?

FA R M I N G FA R M D I A R Y

There are new offences and penalties for breaches of the new rules. Some minor to moderate offending may result in a criminal conviction and a fine of up to $5000 for an individual. More serious offending will be dealt with under existing rules in the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

You must be 'competent' If you’re not a vet, you must be ‘competent’ to carry out certain surgical procedures, eg treat a vaginal prolapse in a ewe. ‘Competent' means a person is experienced with, or has received training in the correct method for the procedure, and has the appropriate skills and equipment to carry it out. The owner, or the person in charge of the animal, also has a responsibility to make sure that the person carrying out the procedure is competent.

Pain relief Some surgical procedures will now require the use of pain relief medication. A vet will need to authorise the type of pain relief and decide whether to allow a competent person who is not a vet to administer it. Examples are extracting wolf teeth from horses or other equids, and disbudding goats.

Pasture tips for June • Think about spring. That may be difficult if you’ve just come out of a long dry summer and autumn, and pasture levels are already low. Pasture needs time to regrow, often twice as long (or longer) as it does in spring (from 40-70+ days for ryegrass, depending on where in NZ you live). It’s better to be understocked than overstocked, so grass has time to grow. Consider homekill or selling excess stock sooner rather than later. Skinny, half-starved stock is a serious animal welfare issue.

• If you’re feeding supplements such as hay or silage, feed out what stock will eat in an hour. If they’re leaving a lot scattered around and are sleeping on it, feed less. If they’re eating everything in less than an hour, feed more. This is a maintenance level only; it takes a lot more for an animal to gain weight.

• Keep heavy stock, such as adult

cattle and horses, off good pasture overnight if it's raining as they will damage it (see more on pugging at right). Stock need a comfortable pad to stand or sit on, such as a deep bed of bark, in a sheltered spot, with fresh water and feed.

What not to do over winter Don't let stock trample soft or wet (near-saturated) soil as it can't support their weight. Treading by heavy stock causes: compaction (fewer pockets of air and water between soil particles); pugging (complete loss of air and water pockets). Hooves also tear or bury pasture plants and damage roots.

• •

Paddocks most at risk

• any that have suffered pugging in the past; • areas with a high water table; • those with little or no drainage; • hills, as animals may slip, ripping off grasses and a thin layer of soil.

The long-term damage of pugging

• poor drainage, making soil more susceptible to compaction and pugging in future; much poorer pasture growth in the following years; greater fertiliser requirements; more topsoil and contaminant runoff into waterways.

• • • Serban Enache, Koldunova Anna | Dreamstime.com

Studies have shown that soil treading and compaction from just one pugging event over winter can halve pasture production.

thisnzlife.co.nz

thisnzlife.co.nz 49

FA R M I N G WEEDBUSTERS

Warning: toxic to stock and people

Ripe berries look just like jaffas

Jerusalem cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum)

10-15mm

Found: North and South Islands, in shady places, eg under trees, along stream/river banks, in hedgerows.

Features: grows to about 1m high. Has white, starshaped flowers with a yellow centre, typical of other plants of the Solanum family (including potatoes, capsicums, eggplants, tomatoes, black nightshade) from October to May. In winter, it has masses of yellow, orange, and red berries. NB: all parts of the plant and the berries are toxic.

How to control it 1. Wear gloves, and hand pull all but the largest plants (all year round), or those with ripe berries. Leave on site to rot down. 2. Spray small plants (spring-autumn): 2,4-D ester (70ml/10-litre). 3. Spray plants over 30cm tall (spring-autumn): glyphosate (10ml/1-litre) or Tordon Gold (600ml/100litres).

For more on weeds and how to control them, go to www.weedbusters.org.nz 50 NZ Lifestyle Block

Iva Villi | Dreamstime.com

TIP

Replant areas you clear with shade-loving plants such as ferns, which will outcompete any seeds that may germinate.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

FA R M I N G PA S T U R E WAT C H

Alligator weed Why is it a weed?

Outcompetes pasture, clogs up streams

Where is it found?

Common in Northland, Auckland, Waikato

Is it toxic?

Takes up heavy metals from soil and is toxic to some animals

Other uses

Song Xu, Imam Muhtadin | Dreamstime.com

None

ALLIGATOR WEED is one of the world’s worst aquatic and terrestrial weeds due to its incredibly fast growth on both land and in water. Alternanthera philoxeroides is native to Brazil but has infested North America, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia. It was first spotted in NZ on the Wairoa River near Dargaville in 1906. It's believed to have come here in ship ballast water. Its rapid growth in warmer regions means it can easily outcompete pasture. When it gets into waterways, it clogs them up, trapping sediment and increasing the risk of flooding. Once established in wetlands, it’s a big threat to native flora and fauna. It’s also tough to eradicate, which is why it’s on the National Pest Plant Accord. This means it’s illegal for anyone to propagate or knowingly spread it. Alligator weed is a low growing, non-woody perennial with stolons (lateral, above-ground stems) up to 10m long. These can form rafts on waterways up to 15m in diameter.

What to look for

• papery, clover-

like flowers, from November to March. • shiny, spear-shaped leaves, 2-7cm long, 1-2cm wide

• if you have a boat, make sure it and

How to control it

Alligator weed doesn’t usually produce viable seeds. It spreads when little leaf fragments are carried on vehicles or farm equipment, and then takes root. To prevent it from getting on your block:

• check all contractors clean their

equipment thoroughly before coming onto your property;

• only buy weed-free supplementary feed; • check any aggregates, soil, or sand brought onto your block, and make sure it doesn't contain vegetation or plant fragments;

NOTE: We recommend you get your own independent advice before you take any action on your block. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.

its trailer are clean before you go home. There are chemical control options, but some aren’t safe to use on or near water or on other pasture plants. Always consult a professional or your regional council before trying to control alligator weed, and always use chemicals safely.

About Gary Gary Bosley works as PGG Wrightson's North Island technical specialist in agronomy. He and his family live on a 4ha lifestyle block south-east of Auckland. PGG Wrightson Ltd (PGW) does not warrant the information’s accuracy, quality, outcome or fitness for any purpose.

thisnzlife.co.nz 51

Your Poultry HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR FLOCK Page 58 Why heritage hens lay fewer eggs

4 things you need for a

top-producing hen There are four factors that must be in place if a hen is to live her best life.

Jonathan Casey | Dreamstime.com

Words Sue Clarke & Nadene Hall

52 NZ Lifestyle Block

YO U R P O U LT R Y 4 THINGS TOP-PRODUCING HENS NEED

Commercial hybrids, such as the one pictured at left, are capable of producing an astonishing number of eggs.

ome hens, such as commercial hybrids, are carefully bred to lay very high numbers of eggs. Most others are humble ‘barnyard specials’ with a jumble of genes. Every hen has a maximum egg production potential. Whether she achieves it comes down to four factors: her genetics, the environment, how well she's cared for, and her diet. Get one wrong, and you may not see any outward signs of a problem, but your hen won't fulfil her potential as a layer.

AndreaObzerova | iStock

The environment

The better the habitat, the better a hen will perform. Problems include: ■ temperatures too high or too low; ■ the wrong food, or not enough; ■ too much competition or bullying from flock mates; ■ a lack of space to feed; ■ a lack of clean water; ■ parasites (causing anaemia, ill-health); ■ rodents (spreading disease); ■ wild birds (spreading disease). Hens living in a stressful environment may not settle, meaning they won’t eat enough for regular egg production, or produce many (or any) eggs.

Management

This is what you provide and do as the carer for your flock. Poultry need: ■ a comfortable area to live in and lay, with shelter from the elements; ■ sufficient and correct feed for their age; ■ their health needs attended to in a timely and proper manner; ■ actions taken to prevent disease; ■ the correct treatments and vet care if/when the need arises; For example, hens that are uncomfortable due to a mite infestation in their coop tend to move around more at night, and may suffer anaemia due to blood loss. They sleep less, eat less, and lose weight/condition. They may lay less, or stop laying. A bad mite infestation can eventually kill a hen if it's not treated.

Genetics

A hen’s genes are probably the most important factor in terms of egg numbers and egg quality. The characteristics a hen inherits from her parents include: ■ egg colour; ■ egg shape; ■ the robustness of the shell; ■ the quality of the contents, eg albumen consistency; ■ the absence or presence of meat spots or blood;

■ clutch size, ie the numbers of days a hen lays consecutive eggs without a break; ■ the age she lays her first egg.

The fertility of a hen or rooster can also be breed dependant. The fertility of some breeds is traditionally quite low. Others have chicks that may be less robust at hatching. Crested breeds such as Silkies and Polish can have brain problems due to their vaulted skulls. This type of predisposition can be magnified if there are other negative factors (eg, lack of food), or improved if all the other conditions are perfect. A hen can never achieve her full egg production potential if she doesn’t have the right environment, nutrition, and management.

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YO U R P O U LT R Y 4 THINGS TOP-PRODUCING HENS NEED

Even the best genetics can be stuffed up by faulty nutrition. Poultry need to eat 30-40 different nutrients every day. A shortage in the required energy, protein, salt, or calcium will affect a bird’s health within days. A lack of others, such as trace minerals and vitamins, may take several weeks to have an effect. A nutritional deficiency will affect a hen’s ability to: ■ ovulate; ■ form a well-shaped egg; ■ combat pathogens or parasites in her environment.

Why heavy breeds have some leeway in their diet Some of the heavier crossbreed hens or heavy (large size and weight) heritage breeds such as Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds, and Plymouth Rocks, are more likely to cope with a diet that isn’t quite perfect. That's mostly because they can eat a lot more compared to smaller breeds, which compensates for some minor shortfalls. They also tend to produce fewer eggs.

A diet deficiency can affect a hen's ability to ovulate and lay eggs

54 NZ Lifestyle Block

And why high egg-laying light breeds don’t

Light breeds (small size and weight) such as Leghorns, Silkies, and bantams, have smaller appetites, lower body weight, and lay a lot more eggs in a season. Commercial hybrid hens – also a light breed – are the most finely tuned, with a high feed efficiency-to-egg ratio. The proportion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates in what they eat must be enough to maintain their bodyweight, health, and egg production. If it falls short, egg production and the quality of the eggs will quickly fall, even if they have the perfect environment, management, and genetics.

Good (& bad) nutrition

The nutritional requirements of poultry are one of the most well studied of all livestock. Birds receiving a nutritionally balanced, quality feed, and clean, fresh water are going to be healthier and more productive than birds that don’t. The best thing to do is offer a balanced feed first thing in the morning. Birds can then choose to eat more once out in their environment, but you'll have ensured they

have the crucial nutrients they need for good health. If you want to offer scraps or a scattering of whole grains, make it a small amount (around 10g per bird) in the late afternoon, just before they roost for the night. Digesting food overnight helps birds to keep warm. It can be hard to believe that boring, dry pellets or mash are the best feed when your birds rush forward and eagerly gobble up scraps and grains. But this competitive, enthusiastic behaviour is genetically programmed into them, and it’s the way they would behave no matter what you were feeding. For example, light breeds have a higher demand for energy and protein than heavy breeds. If you feed high carbohydrate foods such as bread, rice, and pasta scraps, they quickly fill their crop and digestive tract. Even if they later get access to a balanced feed (eg, commercially made mash or pellets), they physically won’t have room in their crop to hold it. Scraps and whole grains don't contain the nutrients poultry need to maintain good health. The first thing to shut down if

Olivier Le Moal | Dreamstime.com

Nutrition

YO U R P O U LT R Y 4 THINGS TOP-PRODUCING HENS NEED

a hen is malnourished is egg production (reproduction).

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Scraps can create pads of fat in a hen’s abdomen which make it physically difficult or impossible for her to lay an egg. Fat pads may also cause egg peritonitis if the oviduct comes under pressure from fat build-up. Egg yolks are then squeezed out of the oviduct and into the body cavity, causing infection and death. Too much fat also causes fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome. If the liver becomes engorged with fats, it can burst open. This is fatal, usually instantly.

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Too much protein Sometimes, additional protein above the required daily intake of 16-17% crude protein in commercial feed is good for poultry, for example, when they’re: ■ young and still growing; ■ moulting and growing new feathers; ■ sick, with low appetite. However, too much protein will result in bigger and bigger eggs, which can cause a prolapse of the oviduct, and is usually fatal. Commercial farmers often change the diet of hens at different points of their laying cycle. They gradually reduce protein levels as birds age (which is when eggs naturally get bigger). If they don't, eggs may become too big for an older hen to lay, and also won't fit inside standard egg cartons. Poultry also need the correct type of protein containing specific amino acids. Two critical ones are methionine and lysine, only found naturally in animal protein, such as blood and bone meal added to commercial feed. A vegetarian poultry feed uses plant proteins such as soy and legumes. It will be supplemented with synthetic methionine and lysine. If not, birds will suffer from: ■ flightiness; ■ feather pecking; ■ cannibalism; Some organic feeds may not contain the correct amino acids - check the ingredients to see if they have (or haven't) been added. It’s almost impossible for free range birds to find enough of the right protein in their environment to make up the shortfall.

Stieglitz | iStock

Too much protein can cause eggs to be too big

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YO U R P O U LT R Y 4 THINGS TOP-PRODUCING HENS NEED

The eggsceptional hybrids Shaver Brown & Hyline Brown

Type: commercially-bred hybrids Egg production average aged 18-70 weeks: 300 eggs in one laying season (5.8 eggs per week) Egg production average, aged 18-100 weeks: 467 eggs before first moult (5.7 eggs per week) A hybrid Shaver or Hyline hen living in perfect production conditions will lay over 450 eggs by the time she’s 20 months old. That’s something that will take a heritage breed or 'barnyard special' several years to achieve. She’ll also do it eating just 120g of commercial feed per day, the most economical of any poultry. But those incredible numbers are dependent on the environment, nutrition, and management. To achieve it, they need: ■ a constant day length of 16 hours, the equivalent of a summer's day, even during winter (thanks to lighting); ■ the best quality food, always available; ■ a shed or barn kept at around 20°C, especially at night, and at least 16°C on a frosty night. Hybrids don't have a long lifespan. These hens lay about twice the number of eggs in half the time compared to an average cross-bred backyard hen, but their bodies are prone to early burnout. They tend to die from heart issues, or because of problems with their reproductive organs.

to feed her through a moult, and she won’t continue to lay the high numbers of quality eggs as she did before, so they choose to cull her instead. If rescued, these hens leave a consistently warm, well-lit, mostly disease and parasite-free environment for one that’s often colder, darker, and full of pathogens to which they have no immunity. They may not get the same quality or quantity of feed. It all puts them at a much higher risk of getting sick and dying. If you rear a commercial chick on your block from one day old, she stands a higher chance of living a longer life, but she’s unlikely to be as productive as her sisters living in a commercial environment. However, she’ll be more attuned to the changing seasons of day length, the difference in temperatures through the seasons, and develop immunity to a wide range of pathogens in your environment.

A hybrid hen living in perfect conditions will produce 467 eggs in just 20 months

Shaver Browns and Hyline Browns are almost impossible to tell apart.

When you adopt a ‘rescue’ hen that was living on a commercial farm, she’s termed an ‘end of lay’ bird. She’s laid her 467 eggs eating an efficient amount of feed, but she needs to moult. It’s not economical for a commercial breeder

56 NZ Lifestyle Block

Gustavo Andrade | Dreamstime.com

Why ‘rescue’ birds often die young

YO U R P O U LT R Y 4 THINGS TOP-PRODUCING HENS NEED

2 eggs you'll probably get from old girls & one you probably won't

Solidified pus, 'laid' as an eggshaped ball.

Pipa100, Todorean Gabriel | Dreamstime.com

Calcium spots

Double yolkers

Hybrid hens are more likely than any other breed or 'barnyard special' to lay double yolk eggs. However, it's most common in young hens that have just started laying, usually because of hormonal fluctuations that are common at that time. Older hens may lay larger eggs, but statistically fewer will have double yolks.

Calcium pimples/spots

These are more common on the eggs of older hens as their reproductive system isn’t as efficient. It can also be a sign of excess calcium in the diet. Extra calcium should be offered in a separate dish to any other feed – don’t force it on the hen by mixing it in with pellets or mash.

Lash 'egg'

They might be sort-of eggshaped, but these aren’t eggs. These are solidified pus and tissue from an infection in a hen’s oviduct. It may also contain some secretions which are partial membranes. Never eat one!

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YO U R P O U LT R Y 4 THINGS TOP-PRODUCING HENS NEED

Why heritage hens lay fewer eggs The breeder is regularly mating closely related birds

Breeders of heritage birds often use line breeding (eg, mating a half-sister with a half-brother) and inbreeding (mating parent to offspring or brother to sister) to produce a selection of perfect-looking birds that meet the poultry standards. Over time, this type of breeding can lead to inbreeding depression. Important reproductive traits, such as fertility and egg hatchability, gradually decrease with every inbred generation.

The breeder isn’t choosing to mate the most productive birds

A breeder needs to select the highest egg-producing birds with the longest laying season, ideal egg shape, and shell colour if they want to produce generation after generation of good layers. But if they’re concentrating on breeding

for other characteristics, such as feather colour, they often choose to breed hens with these attributes over high production values. This means the genetics for good laying gradually deteriorate over generations. A hen's genetics may mean she lays abnormally shaped eggs, eg too round, too long and thin. Her daughter is more likely to do the same, unless her father's genetics trump it, eg he's from a line of hens that lay perfectly-shaped eggs. Then, their daughter may lay eggs that are marginally better quality than her mother’s. If you want to improve the egg production of your hens, you need to mate your best-producing hen/s with good quality, fertile roosters whose mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers etc are/were also good layers. Ideally, these birds will have a range of genetics, so you avoid line and inbreeding.

It takes a lot of time and special breeding techniques to create a perfect-looking hen, like this Australorp.

TALK TO OUR CHICKEN EXPERT Australorp hen.

Sue Clarke has worked with poultry for more than 50 years, raising tens of thousands of birds at a time. She is also the co-author of How to Care for Your Poultry and How to Care for Your Poultry, Volume 2.

58 NZ Lifestyle Block

If you have questions and would like our poultry expert, Sue, to reply, join the group ‘The NZ Poultry Place’ on Facebook and tag her (Sue Clarke) in on your query. www.facebook.com/groups/ thenzpoultryplace/ or email questions to: editor@nzlifestyleblock.co.nz

Jomann | Dreamstime.com

Heritage birds competing in shows must meet exacting standards, as outlined in the NZ Poultry Standards. These include: ■ type, the ideal general shape, and form; ■ carriage, the way it carries its head and body; ■ head, including shape, comb, feathers, crest, beak, eyes, wattles, ear lobes, neck, and hackles; ■ legs and feet, including scales, thighs, feathers, toes, and skin colour; ■ plumage, the feathers, and their distinctive markings or colouration patterns; ■ weight, for full-size or bantam breeds. The standard may say a particular heritage breed is capable (or traditionally was capable) of producing, for example, 200 eggs in a laying season. But there are two main reasons why they may be poor producers, even if all other conditions are perfect.

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L AST WORDS

A farmer’s vision

Fenced in

An ancient forest on a Waikato mountaintop is home to the world’s largest mainland pest-free sanctuary.

Maungatautari was a public reserve until a neighbouring farmer, David Wallace, built a prototype pest-proof fence around his property in 1999. It was a blueprint for the mountain; David and his wife used their property to convince landowners, locals, and iwi that a predator-free maunga was possible. The formation of the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust helped fund the fence, which required permission from dozens of bordering landowners. Once complete, three helicopters dropped poisonous cereal bait to eradicate mammalian predators in the vicinity. Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari now offers guided tours through the bush or wetlands, while keen walkers can roam without a guide for a small entry fee. All proceeds go back to the land. www.sanctuarymountain.co.nz

his 3m-high fence looks like it could stop almost any animal, but the peril it tries to prevent comes mostly in small, furry forms. The longest pest-proof fence in the world protects Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, a 3400ha wildlife haven near Cambridge. Forty-seven kilometres of steel dip and rise around the forest-topped maunga (mountain). Beneath the surface, a mesh skirt spreads out a further 30cm under a thick layer of gravel. The fence and skirt protect vulnerable species such as the western north island brown kiwi, kōkako, and saddlebacks.

66 NZ Lifestyle Block

Maungatautari has been free of introduced predators (except for a few mice) since 2006. Kererū gobble up tawa fruit, aiding in the regeneration of the thick canopy above. Fantails flit behind flocks of whiteheads, and kiwi chicks burrow below century-old trees. However, the carefully designed fence isn’t foolproof. “It wouldn’t take long for the sanctuary to return to normal (pest levels) if we walked away, even with a fence around it,” says ranger Craig Montgomerie. The fence’s tight mesh will keep a baby mouse out, but a branch caught in a floodgate or a fallen frond draped across the fence is an open invitation for hungry rodents. A wily stoat would be detrimental to vulnerable chicks and eggs within the sanctuary. That’s why any breach sees a ranger or staff member at the scene within 90 minutes. Inside the sanctuary, more than 400 volunteers help monitor the extensive network of tracking lines, baiting systems, trail cameras, and traps. Tuatara and takahē now live in the wetland enclosure. A partnership with

national charity Kiwis for Kiwi will see the release of 500 kiwi chicks over five years into the forest. “That’s just the beginning,” says head guide Tali Jellyman. “Sanctuary Mountain is the future of western brown kiwi. This mountain is their kōhanga (birthplace), which will be the source of the future population.” The bush-clad mountain offers a rare peek into the area’s pre-human past and, hopefully, a glimpse of a predatorfree future. Visitors can see wildlife from Maungatautari’s extensive trails via guided tours, self-guided walks, and during kiwireleasing ceremonies. Tali will never forget the moment when a group of local children saw their first kiwi. “The kids didn’t move when Craig took out the kiwi, and there was a chorus of quiet gasps.” For Tali, the sanctuary is as much of a refuge for native species as it is an educational tool. “People have to connect with something to care about it. Then hopefully, they will do something to protect it.”

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Phil Brown, John Parker

Words Cari Johnson

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